{"id":2790,"date":"2013-03-30T22:07:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-30T22:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/welcome-jesus-as-a-friend-pope-urges-at-easter-vigil-mass\/"},"modified":"2013-03-30T22:07:00","modified_gmt":"2013-03-30T22:07:00","slug":"welcome-jesus-as-a-friend-pope-urges-at-easter-vigil-mass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/03\/welcome-jesus-as-a-friend-pope-urges-at-easter-vigil-mass\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Jesus as a friend, Pope urges at Easter Vigil Mass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Vatican City, Mar 30, 2013 \/ 04:07 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Pope Francis called on Christians to let the risen Jesus enter their lives and to welcome him as a friend with trust during the Church's most holy night of the year.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIf up until now you have kept him at a distance, step forward\u2026he will receive you with open arms,\u201d Pope Francis said at Saint Peter's Basilica during the Easter Vigil Mass.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIf you have been indifferent, take a risk, you won\u2019t be disappointed,\u201d he told thousands gathered at the Vatican on March 30.<\/p>\n

\tAt the opening of the liturgy \u2013 which Pope Francis concelebrated with numerous cardinals \u2013 candles were lit among the faithful and passed in complete silence, illuminating the church as the Easter candle procession reached the altar.<\/p>\n

\tOver 40,000 flowers and plants from Holland were used to decorate the basilica including daffodils and lilies.<\/p>\n

\tPope Francis also baptized four people during the service, including a 17-year-old U.S. Citizen of Vietnamese descent, a 30-year-old Albanian, a 30-year-old Russian and a 23-year-old Italian.<\/p>\n

\tAfter the baptisms, a white cloth was placed over each of the four and flame from the main Easter candle was shared with smaller candles which were given to them to hold. Pope Francis then confirmed them as Catholics, making the sign of the cross on their forehead with oil and kissing them each on the cheek. The four also received their first Holy Communion during the Mass.<\/p>\n

\tDuring his homily, the new Pope said that if following Christ seems difficult, \u201cdon\u2019t be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cTrust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIf people remember what God has done for them, he noted, they will not fear what lies in store for their lives.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cTo remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled is what opens our hearts to hope for the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tThe Pope observed that \u201cnewness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe are afraid of God\u2019s surprises\u2026he always surprises us!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0 However, \u201cLet us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPope Francis reflected on the resurrection narrative from the Gospel reading where the women were sad and afraid to find the tomb of Jesus opened and empty after his death.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cJesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future, he is the everlasting 'today' of God,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\tBecause of this, Pope Francis explained, sadness is the wrong place to look for life. \u201cHow often does Love have to tell us 'why do you look for the living among the dead?'\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOur daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness,\u201d Pope Francis noted. That \u201cis where death is\u201d and \u201cis not the place to look for the one who is alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cLet the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vatican City, Mar 30, 2013 \/ 04:07 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis called on Christians to let the risen Jesus enter their lives and to welcome him as a friend with trust during the Church's most holy night of the year.<\/p>\n

\t“If up until now …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nWelcome Jesus as a friend, Pope urges at Easter Vigil Mass<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Mar 30, 2013 \/ 04:07 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- Pope Francis called on Christians to let the risen Jesus enter their lives and to welcome him as a friend with trust during the Church's most holy night of the year. “If up until now ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/03\/welcome-jesus-as-a-friend-pope-urges-at-easter-vigil-mass\/\" \/>\n<meta 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